Once Upon a Flower
by E.V. Laurie
Summary: The South planned to attack the West, but Toga found out. Now, Sesshoumaru has two missions in the Southern Lands. 1-To redact a new Treaty between the two lands. 2-Find the mysterious ninja who warned them of the attack. SessxKag/AU
1. Prologue

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha_

**Prologue**

**In Enemy Territory**

**S**he ran. Getting out of the forest surrounding the Palace was the only thing in her head. However, she couldn't escape from her persecutor since he seemed more dexterous regarding speed. One would say that the demon had pursued more than one intruder out of his Castle, and that was probably the truth. With a little luck, she would lose him between the high and thick trees that surrounded her. But she realized that she was caught when he appeared in front of her in the small clearing to which she was heading. His arm was holding the sword that would cut her heart out if she continued to go in that direction. However, it was impossible to change trajectory. If she did, he would realize it immediately and rip her torso with one of his attacks, so she opted to go to him and, with luck, she would find a way to escape from her persecutor.

She tried to reduce her speed but it would be difficult since she had been running fast, the double of the speed she generally used. She was able to stop on his left side and, a second later, the sword was down against her neck. Perhaps that was not the best idea, but she would have to endure it until she was able to abandon the mission, the place and her persecutor. She probably could do it with her head still attached, but she already was having doubts since the sword was leaving a thin mark in her neck and she felt a drop of blood make its heavy and invisible way under her clothe toward her breasts, slightly staining her attacker's sword.

He looked at her carefully to make sure she would not be a problem in case she was hostile. His energy caressed for hers but the absence of it made him frown. Furthermore, the ninja wasn't very happy to be about to lose her head and, moving fast, something he could see perfectly, she moved away and jumped to a tree at a distance that would keep her safe if he decided that she was not worthy of staying alive.

"Return what you have taken," he ordered with a baritone and strong voice.

"Your Highness, I cannot give back the message. The information is false and it could cost the Western Lands many lives. Your spy has betrayed you and is plotting the downfall of the most powerful Empire in the Islands with the Southern Lord. They are recruiting an army on the eastern border. There are about a thousand of them and their numbers increase as time passes. The West must prepare for war," she reported.

"How can I trust you when you enter my home and steal from me?" His voice was as cold as the ice.

"I understand your distrust, but I speak the truth. If you are unsure of my word, send someone to investigate before you decide to decapitate me. I can show you where to enlist and I even have the army's uniform if you choose to test me. I can give a recommendation so that your spy is accepted as one of them. I can share with you all the information on the Southern Lord's troops: their weak points and even the name of his strongest general. I can help the West, Prince Sesshoumaru. I know all about everybody. There are no secrets for me," she told him.

"What do you gain by helping me? Why do you betray your people?" He queried while wondering who she was to have such influence on Southern Court.

"I'm not betraying anyone. I'm just avoiding more misfortunes. If the South is at war with the most powerful Land, it would lose what little has left. And we know that you wouldn't end up very well either. Although you would decimate our troops, we are not your only enemy," she replied. "After all, the North has not given up for two hundred years, and I do not think they would start now that they would have such a good opportunity."

The dammed ninja was right, but that didn't mean he would do what she wanted. It would be very dangerous if he did so, especially if she came from the South, which she claimed was going to attack them. Yes, she obviously knew very well her trade, but it wouldn't help her much. He was sure she wanted more than to stop a war. All of them were the same and that fake ninja wasn't the exception.

Apparently her explanation for the robbery wasn't welcome. If the obstinate Prince did not accept her help, even in exchange for her head, they would be on the losing side. Lord Hisoka's army was nearly ready and the attack would be in the next few days.

She was informed of the amount of troops on the Western army and the ongoing impact of the Northern troops against Lord Toga. There wouldn't be much resistance if the army was tired, wounded and ill-fed. But who would make the obstinate Heir of the West understand the risk he was putting his precious land in? And to think she had planned to help them. It seemed that the plan didn't work out just because he didn't know if the information was true or not. Well, also because she had stolen and replaced an official document, but what would be the worst that could happen? _'Perhaps that nobody attacked and that the soldiers would be more tired.'_ That was what he was probably thinking. However, her information was correct and returning without having the heir do something about it was not an option. There should be a way to convince him that she told the truth.

Perhaps she should have paid more attention when her followers had told her that the demon was calculating. Shit, even with the warning she would not have been ready to confront Prince Sesshoumaru. This was one of those cases in which rumors were not so far from the truth. The demon in front of her was hard, and unwavering. As beautiful as a God, but he was a fool. His golden eyes glistened in the dark like fires that, instead of warm, froze anything they looked at. His silver hair danced around him while the wind blew in the silent forest. His body was concealed by the clothes but the energy emanating from him was huge and she could almost imagine his arms and abdominal muscles. He was taller than her and obviously more powerful.

He looked into her ocean eyes. She was thin, with a good figure obtained from training and she was smaller than him. She was a weak little thing in his opinion. But the fragile figure before him had infiltrated the Palace of his father and stolen an important scroll from his own private office without anyone realizing. He sniffed the air but the only scent around was his own, and he applauded her for some of her capabilities, she was really good hiding her presence. She was dressed in black shirt and pants that covered her as if they were her own skin and she wore a small sword at her side. Her face was covered and only left her hypnotizing eyes to see. Her voice was sweet and gentle and he could at least say that she was somewhat educated. However, that confused him. At that time and age, women were not taught to handle swords, much less allowed to go on a mission.

He wondered how strong she was. If he had not seen a shadow moving near the window – a shadow that many people wouldn't have noticed – he wouldn't be there talking with this unknown messenger South. But what concerned him most was what she had gone to say. If the South had violated the Peace Treaty there would be no mercy, and that included the traitor. He didn't like the guy much, so the treachery didn't really surprised, but the Southern Lord should know better. The man had too many things to protect but it seemed like he didn't care.

"My Lord, the South has become corrupted with the passage of time. They need to be stopped, but the old Lord does not listen to reason and gives orders to continue. Lord Hisoka is being manipulated. He is not the best of leaders, but I can assure you that he's not foolish enough to go to war against the strongest of the Lords. Someone must have put this horrible idea in his head," she said.

"And who are you to know who surrounds the Southern lord?" He asked.

"I am nobody my Lord..." she replied too fast for his tastes.

"You seem to know more than you let on. Come and show me your face, so I'll believe what you have said," he ordered. The woman had to have good connections in the Southern Court to know so much.

"I cannot assent to your request, my identity has little importance in this case," she answered while preparing to escape.

_'Smart,'_ he vaguely thought. "Then you die," he attacked the woman who was ready to flee.

He moved so fast that she barely had time to react. She avoided his sword several times, but because of her carelessness, he managed to cut the shirt from the neck to the waist. Fortunately, he didn't cut her but found herself exposed since the cut passed through to the underclothing. With a fast movement she held together the two ends of the shirt and made sure that the Prince hadn't seen anything. However, Sesshoumaru didn't care that she was vulnerable and attacked her again. This time, she had to unsheathe her sword or she would be dead meat. She could barely avoid the damned blade and, a few seconds later, her back was against a tree with an angry prince in front of her. He was already tired of playing cat and mouse with the little ninja and thought it was time to find out who was playing him.

Being in a situation that obviously wouldn't have a good outcome for her, the ninja decided that getting out of there was more important than her dignity as a woman, all in all, she was more valuable alive than dead. For her plan to work, both hands would be needed. And although she didn't want to, she would have to let go of her shirt which she was holding with her left hand. She noticed as the Prince readied himself for his last attack. Fast and agile, he let his sword fall over the head of his cornered prey. The ninja, having determined her course of action, released the shirt and stopped the final blow with the small sword using all her strength.

The Prince never thought she would do such a thing since, so far, he had never met a woman who would go to extremes. He thought they were poisonous and manipulative, preferring to do things behind his back and avoiding confrontations. But apparently not all were the same. This small thing was willing to do anything to keep her identity secret and her life intact. She also had very attractive breasts.

A little tired of her breasts being the main event for the Prince, she decided to end the battle. The truth was that she had never fought with someone stronger than her. So this time, she had to use her energy to send the Prince flying a few meters. Using the surprise to her advantage she decided to leave and put enough distance between her and the pervert. Accessing her energy to run more quickly than the previous time, she sped away. After all, she didn't want to see the demon even if they paid her a thousand gold coins.

However, she couldn't prevent worrying about lands of the South. She thought she had managed to pass the message, or at the very plant some doubts, and hopefully this would stop the advance of the army of Lord Hisoka. If so, a great war would be avoided and the Treaty could be re-established. If that happened, her country's economy would greatly improve. The next step would be to get rid of the malicious Ministers in the court. That way she would be able to create another nation as powerful as the West. One she could protect better.

* * *

**S**esshoumaru was still looking at the tree against which the little Ninja had been minutes earlier. It seemed she was fast and strong enough to fight him and get out alive. But his mind was still looking at her white, firm breasts. He imagined what it would be like to suck one of the pink nipples and how her melodious voice full of desire would sound. He could almost taste the sweetness of her skin and imagined licking the small open flower tattooed over her heart.

He was not the kind of demon who got like that just because he saw a very exquisite part of a female. So he blamed it on the fact that he hadn't held something of the opposite sex for some time. Perhaps later he should visit one of the concubines and remedy the little problem the ninja had created. But it would have to wait so he shook his head in a try to clear his mind and went to his office to see if the little thief had taken something else.

Thinking seriously about the situation all indicated that another problem had appeared. On one hand, they could not leave the South to continue with the attack. It would only tire the troops even if it was evident that the West would win. Also, they were constantly under attack by the North. Since the previous Lord had been overthrown, the northerners had become obsessed with the conquest of the Islands and he was not expecting them to stop when they found out the West was being attacked since they had spent two hundred years trying to dethrone the Dog General. And surely the Eastern Lord would also get involved. He didn't want to think of the consequences if the other three kingdoms attacked them at once. And there was something else that intrigued him, the part the ninja played in all this. Perhaps she was interested in helping the West, and if so, maybe she was willing to help in other ways.

Just as he came to his office he found his general waiting for him. He sat behind his bureau and began to inspect the documents.

"Speak," he ordered.

"My Lord," the awaiting demon kneeled on the floor in front of his Prince. The movement made his silver hair fall all around him, "the troops on the eastern border have sent a message describing strange occurrences in recent months. According to them, there has been more movement than usual in the area where the East, South and West meet. They have heard unknown noises, large groups of people armed to meet in the middle of the night and even whispered conversations in which sometimes the West is mentioned." He paused before he continued with the report getting to the most important part. "They had thought that it was group of bandits who planned to lay waste to border towns until recently, when the numbers have dramatically increased." Sesshoumaru's eyes moved from the paper he had been looking at to pay full attention to the general. Somehow, he felt he wasn't going to like what was coming next. "They sent a spy in hopes of gaining some information, but the place was unreachable. It was protected by a barrier and patrol groups. After our spy found his way in, no information has been heard from him."

"It is very suspicious. Could it possibly be an army?" He said carefully. He hadn't actually believed the ninja but had taken into consideration the possibility. Now he thought the ninja was right to steal the message. The report from the soldiers in the frontier seemed to confirm the story she had told him.

"An army? Who would dare attack the West? I could only think of the North demon," hurried to say Katsuro a little alarmed by the idea.

"I have just spoken with a spy. She said the South had planned to attack. I didn't take her seriously until you brought this report to my attention," he said while replaying the conversation with the ninja.

"She?" The general whispered, his blue eyes wide hardly believing he was hearing right. "Are you serious Prince Sesshoumaru? A woman came to tell you that the south was going to attack us?"

"Yes, Katsuro, a woman. But who informed us doesn't matter. What really matters is how we use the information." Sesshoumaru took a minute to consider his next plan of action. It was obvious that everyone should be informed. "Apparently she knew of what spoke and that is enough for me," he added as an afterthought. "Go and tell Father of what we've discovered."

Katsuro was a bit baffled by the attitude of his master. Never in his life had Sesshoumaru accepted something from a female so freely. For him, what females did, required something in return. According to Sesshoumaru they only wanted his title, power and money. The prince had it all, even the looks, and he learned the hard way that that was something none of the females he had met deserved to have. But something made this woman seem different, and if his Lord saw it, then it had to be something, because he also believed that females only served for one thing, and that was not sending messages.

Deciding it was time to follow orders, he rose from the cushion and went towards the door, which opened to make way for the very person he was sent to find. The lord of the castle entered with his youngest son in arms. The baby was just a few months old. The half-demon pup had inherited the white hair very similar to his father and brother, and also the golden eye color only belonging to the Crescent Moon Clan.

"Sesshoumaru, did you catch her?" the Lord smiled a little excited with his son's experience. He had met few females with the spunk the little thief had and he thought that she would be good for his stick-in-the-mud son.

"Who, Father?" The prince inquired in spite of knowing who his father was referring to.

"The little thief that broke into your office and who you followed, of course," answered Toga as if speaking about the weather.

"Oh, her? She just came to leave a message, nothing more," he said ending the upcoming questions about the woman. "More important, Father, I received a somewhat strange report from the border and a notice of an attack planned by the South. Is there any chance of that happening?" Sesshoumaru asked. "If so, we must prepare to negotiate; we know that if we don't, a simultaneous attack from the other lands would be ensured."

"I see. So the old Hisoka has decided to do something in regard of his situation. It's absurd of him to think he could take us by surprise or even conquer the West. I wonder who is manipulating him now," added Toga absent mindedly.

"Father, you already knew the South going to attack!" Sesshoumaru accused thinking it strange that his father had done nothing to prepare against it. If his father had known, that was withholding vital information that could have cost the lives of thousands of unprepared civilians and soldiers.

"Silence!" Toga ordered his wayward boy. Sesshoumaru had no idea of how little choice he had in that matter. This time around, whoever was manipulating the Southern Lord was smarter than many others and it had greater goals as well. "Some rumors reached my ears so I decided to send someone I trusted to investigate. Soon all seemed to be true, but all we had was word of mouth and nothing concrete to convince the Council that it was necessary to prepare for war. Besides, the council members are very concerned with the North and would not have paid attention to my demands until it was too late. It seems that the spy has found it very difficult to get to the source of the recruitment or the camp. He has never failed me before and he has been working for several centuries as an informant. Which brings me to the little thief. I wonder who her sources are to have access to that kind of information," he added.

"That I wonder myself," was Sesshoumaru's disinterested response.

Toga smiled. It seemed that the little thief had drawn the attention of his eldest son. The façade he showed confirmed his suspicions. He was not to be misled by his son indifferent response, he knew him too well and his thoughts were most likely circling around her. He liked the little thief since not many men dared to enter the premises without an invitation and she did it rather easily. She seemed strong, smart, determined, and something he valued a lot, feisty. He turned toward the door ready to leave. There were many things to take care of.

"Katsuro send a message to Hisoka. Tell him to withdraw his army, or he will feel the wrath of the western soldiers on his lands. Also, inform him that Sesshoumaru will visit in a week to re-establish the Treaty and to ensure that he is not a threat," said the Dog General while opening the sliding door. "And call the Council into session, will you? I want them in the Conference room in half an hour." He closed the door behind him not waiting to hear the general's answer, and headed for his lover's palace to leave the small bundle he carried. However, Toga couldn't shake a feeling of dread. Something was different this time around. There was a greater plan at play here. He just had to find out what.

* * *

**T**he female ran from where the Heir to the West was as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't dare look behind her to find out if he followed her or not. Actually, she feared he wouldn't let her go, therefore she hasten the step more than once. She was going so fast that she arrived at the border between the two lands in an hour. Breathing with difficulty, she stopped to listen to the sounds of the night. _'It seems like he didn't follow me,'_ she thought. Letting her guard down, she relaxed.

The way the demon had looked at her was embarrassing and inadequate of his position. Nothing like the rumors said. Despite the coldness that existed in his golden eyes, there was also a hidden fervor inside them. It was like a firestorm waiting to be unleashed in the world, and remembering that that burning gaze had been on her for less than a minute made the hair on her neck stand on end. She was still blushing under her mask, and tremors went up and down her spine. Perhaps she should be more careful when she saw Sesshoumaru again because, although she didn't like it, there was a huge chance she would see more of him in the coming months.

She shivered. The night was cold, indicating that it was late. However, she still had enough time to reach the Southern Capital where her followers waited for her. It was good she wasn't in a hurry to get there. Although she needed to give new orders and give a detail account of the events of that night, it could wait a little longer. She was exhausted since she had spent too much energy and needed to rest if she wanted to arrive safely.

She stopped in a clearing and went to lie against a tree. Placed a barrier around herself to stop any curious creature from coming too close and closed her eyes.

* * *

**S**esshoumaru sat next to his father and in front of the Council members that looked expectant at their Lord. He looked at every person in the room and tried, for the eleventh time, not to lose patience. They had been discussing several problems that could be solved in the blink of an eye. But the Council, as always, was slow in its decision. He wondered why he had to listen to these elderly people talk for hours when his father could make a better, faster decision.

Finally the important issue was to be discussed the possibility of war and an unknown entity behind it. Sesshoumaru was not concerned with the Southern Lord much, because the female demon had mentioned the possibility of someone manipulating Hisoka and that worried him more. Although he did not know much about her, she was showing she could be trusted. Also his father had mentioned something similar, and if he had learned something, was that his father was right most of the time. If someone was behind the incident, then he wanted to know who he was, why he did it and what he planned to do. And since all started in the South, that would be the perfect place to continue the search and the small ninja could help him.

"What do we do? Most of our army is defending the northern border against the dragon demon," said a fat bull demon. The man was a coward and Sesshoumaru had to ask again why his father listened to these people to do what was best for the lands.

"We still have enough soldiers to resolve the problem, and the armies of the Dragon are withdrawing as we speak. It was the best they could do after we massacred his troops. Also, a message has already been sent to the Southern Lord in which we requested the withdrawal of his army. If they don't heed the warning then we'll declare war," said Katsuro.

"So fast?" Kaoru exclaimed. She was the only female demon who was part of the Council. He had to admit that the old hag was cunning and she knew what she was talking about. If she believed that the decision was taken too fast was because the Council's opinion had not been taken into account.

"We couldn't leave it as it was. While we could take our time to come up with a solution, the situation could become more dangerous," said Katsuro thinking _'duh, old hag. The council shouldn't intervene in everything. You are not as necessary as you want to believe.'_

"What is the awaited response, Lord Toga?" asked another demon to his left. This was a water elemental, if Sesshoumaru wasn't mistaken, that had served many years under his father and had more experience than he appeared to have. He believed his name was Tomoya.

"I'm hoping that he will accept my request," said the Lord.

"And what would that be?" the elemental asked noticing the evasive answer. Sesshoumaru didn't like his boldness. No one had the right to inquire in the affairs of his father, even to him had been denied an answer regarding some matters. But knew he couldn't go against them so he had to stay quiet.

"I asked the withdrawal of his army and an audience with him in his lands," the Dog General said preparing himself to hear the protests that were sure to follow.

"But, Lord Toga, they could kill you. It's too dangerous. There is no hope to obtain something in enemy territory," yelped the bull demon from before.

"Yoshiki, it's not me who is going. It's Sesshoumaru," answered the Western Lord with calm.

"But your Majesty, he's your heir. You cannot send him to a place where he could be killed," added once again the same demon. "It has to be another Ambassador, but not the Crown Prince."

"It's too late for that. The message has already been sent and it can't nor will be changed. In addition, Sesshoumaru is my son. He won't fall easily. Or perhaps you doubt my word?" The Dog General asked in a threatening tone.

"No, of course not, but..." stuttered Yoshiki seeing himself in a somewhat dangerous situation for his fat well-being.

"Leave it already," argued Tomoya in favor of Toga. "Our Lord, as always, is right. If we change the Ambassador they'll think we fear them and might believe themselves to be some kind of threat to our livelihood if we don't send Sesshoumaru. It could also give them a false courage and decide not to sign the new Treaty. Most likely, they would send us the corpses of the Ambassador and the guards accompanying him if we sent other than his Majesty. The authority of our Lord would be put in doubt and the last thing we need is to look weak."

"I also think that it would be good for Sesshoumaru," hasten to add the old hag. "He should take this as a test."

"It's been decided, then," Toga rose from his seat. "Sesshoumaru will go and discover why Hisoka is threatening my land when we have a treaty," turning around, he left the council room. Others, taking his departure as dismissal, also left, muttering about the departure of their future Lord to a rival region.

* * *

**S**he arrived at the forest surrounding the Southern Castle two hours later jumping from tree to tree. As planned, several demons waited for her. She could hardly perceive their presence but it was there, hidden among the annoying chirping of crickets. If she was not mistaken, the energy signature was from Shinju and Takara. She almost smiled. When Shinju saw how she looked she would freak out and soothing the elemental demon was not a feat that many were able to finish with the ego intact. The redhead had been in the castle for a long time and had become a simple maid unnecessarily worried for the welfare of those above her. But there wasn't much that could be done, since it had become a tradition of the group. However, and many thanks to the Gods above, Takara was there to distract the woman from worrying about unimportant things. Her calm behavior and mischievous nature made Shinju's patience reach its limit, and thanks to that, she forgot about the people around her.

The ninja landed between the two women that didn't look surprised to see her appear out of nowhere. After all, their job was to know who was where in their vicinity because if they were discovered and killed, it would cause havoc in their plans, and that was not an option. She belonged to the largest network of information in the Islands and was the head of the best spies in the world. Certainly, she could not afford to be negligent. She had inherited the title from Kaede, the woman who saved her and taught her all there was to know about espionage, combat, cryptography, cryptanalysis and much more. It was a pity that the woman had only been mortal and died, but she had lived her life as she wanted to.

When she straightened herself, her followers saw the ripped shirt. Shinju's eyes grew as round as plates and Takara just raised an eyebrow as if asking 'what is that?' They were quite predictable.

"Calm down Shinju. I'm not injured, it's only the shirt," she said in an exasperated whisper.

"What happened?" Takara asked in apparent calm while Shinju approached her carefully to see if there was some damage and the ninja was hiding it.

"It doesn't matter. There are more important things to attend to. Where is Masami? I would like to know if she has any news. If there army is going to attack we have to be prepared," she said. Masami was one of the few women who were in the army, not as a warrior but as a nurse. The people of these lands were very sexist. They didn't allow women to lift a finger to defend themselves. Obedient to their husbands and birthing children was what was expected of the female species. In her opinion that was a huge mistake. One never knew when self-defense would come in handy, especially when it came to defend oneself from a spouse.

"Well, how did it go with Frosty?" Takara asked in a mocking tone.

"Not as well as I had expected or wanted. When you said that he was a little proud I never thought that it was an extreme case of arrogance. The damned Heir attacked me as soon as I refused to show him my face," the ninja said a little angry. Calming herself down, she added. "It doesn't matter. All I know is that I could live without an asshole like that walking the earth. Talking of more important things, I want Miyako to follow one of the Lord's advisors. A few days ago he disappeared for a long time before coming out of nowhere."

"What for? We know he does it often. I think it's a waste of time following Master Hideaki," said Takara.

"Well, it is not Takara. You're right that he has disappeared a few times from the Palace, but never for too long or too often. There is something about it that I don't like and I want to find out what he's planning," thinking about something, the ninja looked strangely at Takara, like she had just discovered something nobody else knew.

Takara changed feet in nervousness and fidgeted under her boss's insistent gaze. The friendly exchange lasted only seconds.

"What?" She asked unable to take it anymore. Her boss was giving her the famous glance that made everyone a bit uncomfortable.

"Nothing. Just that I didn't know you liked cats, you know, being a dog and all. I thought pups didn't get along with kittens, but if you are calling him Master Hideaki then I got the information wrong," she told the golden eyed demon. Her eyes were very similar to Sesshoumaru's.

This one groaned. She didn't like the idea of being friendly with cats, but stranger things had happened in the world and she was proof of that, since she was the daughter of a fox and a dog, which, as was well known, didn't get along either.

"I don't like Master Hideaki. As you said, he is a cat and don't get along with them. I just call him like that because everybody else does," answered the mixed demon trying not to give importance to the issue. However, in her voice the longing was palpable.

"Takara, you know you shouldn't be too hopeful. I know that you like him but we've proven that the guy is no good for you or anyone," said Shinju in a motherly tone.

"I know, I really know that," she said a little desperate.

"It's good you know. Regardless, we'll always be here for you, no matter what," the ninja assured her. To her, they were her real family, her sisters. "Changing the topic, where is that crazy Dragon? I heard she arrived today."

"Miyako was still for a few minutes before you arrived, but it didn't last long. She said she had seen something strange in the palace and went to investigate," informed Shinju.

"Tell her to see me in the morning if it's something important, I'm tired and I would like to lie for a few hours," said the ninja.

With a mutual 'hm', Takara and Shinju disappeared from the clearing leaving it as if they had never been there. They planned to rest for the night since there was nothing else to do. It was something they loved but hardly had time for with all the spying.

The mysterious ninja half turned and also disappeared into the night without a trace.


	2. Chapter 1

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha_

**Part I: The Western Ambassador**

**Chapter 1**

**Playing it Save**

**S**esshoumaru arrived at the southern city of Higo one week after the encounter with the mysterious ninja, not very happy of having to waste time at court parties and eager to have at least a little action. Being an intelligent creature, he liked challenges and, sitting down to discuss which the best party of the month was, was not what he called exciting. But he couldn't attract attention to himself while he was there, because in addition to re-establishing relations with the South, he had to do some espionage. His father's plan was to ensure that Hisoka did not attack the West. Furthermore, he had to find the Ninja who had infiltrated the Western Castle. He was sure she would be a great asset to his army since her sources of information appeared to be fast and efficient. However, the delicious hunt for the ninja had to wait until he met Lord Hisoka and the rest of the Court.

To be admitted in the city was a nightmare. Apparently, they were expecting him to arrive the next day and the guards had the audacity to call him imposter. On his face. Several times. To say he was furious was an understatement, but his general managed to calm him down before he cut somebody's head off. Given that they went in peace, it would be unusual to kill some guards at the entrance of the city where the Royal Family resided.

A growl, two punches, three wounded soldiers and four unconscious guards later, Sesshoumaru was allowed in the city and led directly to the door of the inner bailey. During the short way to the royal abode, he could not ignore the beggars who approached him in search for some coins to eat. The poor varied among elderly people, children and women with pups in their arms. They were all dirty and he was sure they had not bathed in months so it was difficult to see the bruises under the dirt. In some of streets adjacent to the road they traveled, lots of sick people stacked against each other whimpered in pain. They were as dirty as the beggars whom most likely had relatives among the ill.

When they passed by the market, rich youngsters were giving a beating to a vagabond. The demon was begging for mercy while sobbing. The group laughed and continued to kick him. The demon had blood coming out of his mouth and he would die soon from sickness and starvation. The beating was just going to hurry the inevitable. Sesshoumaru noted, to his disappointment, that no one helped the demon. Rather they ignored him and did as if no one was in that corner. He also noted how groups of poor children ran among the crow stealing purses and jewels of some rich people and their servants. The servants pursued them in the mob but never caught them since the children were too fast. However, some guards chased them or captured them before they committed some offense.

A part of the market was responsible for selling women or hire prostitution. For some reason, their guides happened to go through there. He had no idea if it was for him or simply because the guards enjoyed it. What mattered was that he did not like it one bit and he demonstrated it by chastising them with a painful-kill look. Meanwhile, the whores tried to pass his soldiers to throw themselves at him. A bit tired of that place where only the wealthy could purchase without being ruined, he waved his horse and soldiers to lead him to the Castle once and for all.

Recalling that the roads had not been much better and that each city they passed through was worse than the previous one. He didn't understand why, if the trade routes between the West and South provided the second all that it needed to avoid such poverty why there were so many poor people. His suspicions were on the rick, prominent people in the government. It was obvious the small land owners and even the Lord were exploiting the proletariat to become richer. This was an error they would pay someday.

They finally arrived at the gates of the inner city and the soldiers that had brought them there, returned to their positions. Again he was asked to confirm his identity through documentation. The officers were lucky they didn't comment, so the process was quick and Sesshoumaru didn't feel the need to threaten or try to kill them.

"Kazuki, lead Prince Sesshoumaru to the Meeting House," said the officer responsible for the entrance to the Main Circle.

"Yes, Sir," was the response of the soldier and he prepared himself to guide the visitors to his Lord and Master. "Through here, please".

He took them across a long rock hallway surrounded by tall walls to another gate that would lead them into the Ou Omote where another hall opened before them. From there, they took three turns, one to the right and two to the left where another gate would take them into the Naka Oku. While they walked, the soldier explained that they were on the northern side of the inner city. In the center of this one was the Donjon, Hisoka and his concubines' palace, the princess's palace and other palace for the important visitors, probably where Sesshoumaru would stay. To the East was the soldier barracks where the prince's personal guard would sleep.

After walking for half a minute, they came to a door which the soldier knocked. From the other side, the door was opened only to show another officer. Sesshoumaru's guide whispered something to the other, who looked at the Prince before fear seized his mind and the demon closed the door and went to inform his Lord of the Western Crown Prince arrival. Not much time passed before a fat demon came out. The demon had short, black hair with onyx eyes. It was difficult to say if this demon would become an enemy, because it seemed a bit lazy and somebody who did things to his convenience.

"I am sorry that we were not ready for your arrival Prince Sesshoumaru, but we understood that you would arrive tomorrow. But it no longer matters, I'll tell the servants to have everything ready for you and your people," said immediately the fat demon. Sesshoumaru stared at him making the man nervous. "If you have hungry your Highness, perhaps you would like to eat something light before dinner is ready," he added.

"That won't be necessary. I would appreciate if you informed Lord Hisoka that I have arrived. I would like to resolve the situation as quickly as possible," Sesshoumaru replied with an iced tone.

"Yes, of course. I am Yuichi, one of the advisors of the Southern Lord," said the fat demon while opening the door long enough to pass both of them. "Follow me please."

Inside, Lord Hisoka was sitting at the end of the table while speaking with his counselors and paid little attention to the new arrival. This angered Sesshoumaru and he frowned but said nothing and devoted himself to examine his surroundings.

The room only had the basics. A rectangular oak table at least a foot high was in the center of the room. Around it, wooden chairs with red cushions for those who participated in the meetings were placed. At the head of the table, a tall man was sitting, reviewing papers and discussing them with his advisors. The demon had long black hair tied in low ponytail. His kimono was made of silk and he wore no armor. His face was fine and manly, and his eyes were an intense black as the night sky. On his right side, a demon with grey hair tied high in his head and dressed with luxurious clothing helped the Lord review the documents. The abhorrent smell of wet cat reached Sesshoumaru, and scrutinizing the old demon, he liked him even less. He didn't know why; there was something in those treacherous eyes he didn't like. And knowing that the man was a cat didn't helped much. Yellow eyes looked at him for a second before he continued to pretend that he was paying attention to his liege.

On the left side of Hisoka, another demon was sitting. This was one looked less threatening, perhaps because it did not seem to be as shrewd as the cat. His eyes were a caramel color and his long hair was a dark brown which he wore loose very much like Sesshoumaru. Mischievous eyes never stopped looking at the documents that lay in front of him and paid attention to the conversation that could barely be heard. His physique was strong and his face was cold and calculating very similar to the devil in front of him.

After several minutes, Hisoka raised his eyes from the document and looked at the Ambassador of the Western Territories. Got up and walked towards Sesshoumaru who was waiting.

"I am Hisoka, Lord of the South and I presume that you are Sesshoumaru, Heir of the West and the eldest son of the Dog General," his deep voice resonated through the room. "And you came to discuss the Peace Treaty that we had and discover why we broke said Treaty," he added.

"That is my first objective," said Sesshoumaru.

"Is there something else you have come to do in my land, Prince Sesshoumaru?" The curious Lord asked.

"There is, but is not urgent," answered the young prince. "When are you ready to discuss the Treaty, Lord Hisoka?"

"I will be ready tomorrow. Right now we are reviewing what we want to discuss and possibly change," he said. "Well, since you'll stay at the castle for a few days, I would appreciate if you attended the festivities so you might enjoy yourself as much as possible. I chose my daughter to be your companion during your stay. She will show you around and will go with you to any party you want to join. However, let me warn you. The Princess tends to talk a lot of what happens in the Palace, gossip if nothing else is her favorite pastime, which is not much really but it can overwhelm someone like you who is used to talks of war and more intelligent topics, so I would appreciate if you were a little careful with her if she bothers you too much," advised Hisoka.

"I'll take it into account," answered Sesshoumaru.

"That's acceptable. Then, I'll summon her and she will take you to your rooms," said Hisoka as he waved his hand towards a servant who left immediately. After he issued his orders the lord returned to his seat, and continued in the process of revising the Treaty.

Not much time had passed when Sesshoumaru felt a weak presence approaching the meeting chamber. Shortly after the door opened showing the servant who had been assigned the search of the Princess. As fast and stealthy as the first time, he approached his master and murmured something in his ear. The Lord nodded his head once and went to receive his daughter.

"Kagome, daughter, come in. I would like to meet someone very important," he told her while he received her with open arms. Kagome went straight into the arms of her father and with all her strength squeezed him against her with no desire to let him go. She had hardly seen him all week. She hadn't been able to talk to him, and wondered if he had had time to eat. Her father tended to forget things when working for extended periods of time. Pushing her away from his person with care and looking at her as if she had been absent for years, he extended an arm toward the prince. "This is Sesshoumaru, Prince of the Western Territories. He will be staying for a week and I would like it if you accompanied him to any function that he wants to go or anywhere else he would wish to visit. You will have time to do your stuff when we are having a meeting," said Hisoka in a loving voice.

"Yes, Father, I am pleased to be of help," she answered and bowed to Sesshoumaru. "I'm Princess Kagome, daughter of the Great Demon of the South. I will be your companion for the time being."

Sesshoumaru found the exchange entertaining. He would have never imagined that Hisoka could be so forward with his feeling for his daughter in front of strangers. And said Princess was unexpected. He thought she would be frivolous and have a strong character as the other ladies of the Court. After all, she was the daughter of a powerful demon. Instead, he found the weakest thing in the universe. She was dressed in a kimono with layers of various colors and patterns of birds in the edges. Her jet black hair was made in the style of the time and had too many ornaments. He thought it was a miracle that she could walk straight with the amount of jewels she wore. But, to his astonishment, her appearance was admirable and innocent looking. Her large eyes seemed to be two sources of salt water that hid no malice. The pair of sapphires had the purity of a child and that did it not made her less beautiful. Her lips were pouty and Sesshoumaru knew that under that ridiculous amount of kimono, her figure was like an hourglass, beautiful and perfect. She was a lady and if he was not mistaken, she also had the brain of one. He was sure that in the coming days he would know all the gossip of the Southern Court. However, there was nothing he could do to avoid the inevitable so he bowed to the little angel and asked her to guide him to his quarters.

* * *

**K**agome took the Ambassador to his room while she informed him of all the celebrations which he should attend, which not to go and those in which his presence was not necessary. She could guess the man was not a party person, but her father had told her that Sesshoumaru should go to some of these events. Among her idle talk, she told the prince that the first party was that night causing the demon to stop in the middle of the hall. Unfortunately for her, though the distance between them was about a meter, she could not stop herself before crashing against his back. Sesshoumaru turned around and looked her in the eyes. At that time she was busy making sure that her nose was intact but felt the bad vibe he was sending her way and unconsciously trembled.

The western prince was beautiful but his character was not the best in the vicinity. The man was as cold as the summit of the highest mountain. Obviously he didn't smile much and, at that time, she was sure he was thinking about the best way to kill her. However, she would not be intimidated. Although the Prince made her tremble in fear, she preferred to live without seeing the wrath of her father.

"I am very busy this evening," he said thinking his cold, murderous tone would be enough to deterred the princess from trying to take him to a stupid party.

"Sorry Prince Sesshoumaru but the popular masses have made this party in your name and are expecting you attendance. Also, I don't have the option of changing the party for another day," she said deciding that he was going to attend the celebration at any cost.

"Popular masses? Are you talking about those who spend every day dancing or those who are dying of hunger in the streets?" His monotonous voice perfectly hid the anger he felt and which he believed should not be unleashed on the innocent Princess. However, he had to criticize the lack of interest in the politics of the Court and the machinations of the Council.

"I don't know what you are talking about," her expression was confused and distrustful. She simply didn't understand what he was referring to. She knew very well that her father was helping the people and that was the only reason that this man was there.

"Very well, Princess Kagome, what I mean is that not everything is flowers and rainbows out of your castle's walls. We don't have to go so far, in the very gates there are children stealing because their parents have died, peasants dying of hunger and sick because they have no money to buy food and medicines. Families that could not pay the taxes your father assigned now homeless and begging some ungrateful rich bastard for some money for their children's food," he said not holding back. It was about time she learned about what was going on behind the walls of her home.

"You lie. My father cares very much for his people. That is why we have a treaty with the West, right?" Her voice came a little louder than she wanted or liked, something that she was never allowed to do, even when she was furious. But this time she was not angry, she was outraged, rabid and almost about to explode.

"Yes, that was the reason. But the South broke the Treaty and I'm here to fix the mess your father made," he could barely contain the arrogant smile that formed is his lips. He loved to destroy the bubble in which she had spent most of her insignificant life.

She could not believe the idiot. How dared he speak ill of her father? Obviously he didn't know Hisoka to decide if he was irresponsible or not, so his assumptions were what his informants had told him. Kagome had no idea where their spies had gained such information, but they were vilifying her father and that didn't sit well with her. However, she decided not to give her opinion on the matter and simply turned around and began to leave. She had nothing else to do there. Unfortunately, she didn't get far away and after taking two steps a hand stopped her and pulled her back. Seconds later, her feet were dangling in the air, only a few centimeters between her and the ground. A strong and muscular chest was against her back and little vibrations emanated from it.

"Where are you going Princess? You still have to take me to my chambers remember?" His serious voice floated toward her ear causing unknown emotions to run through her body.

"I will call a servant," she informed him in low and slightly hoarse voice. She was scared and didn't know what was happening to her body.

"No one is near," he stated while he nibbled on her elfish ear, the action sending shivers thought the innocent princess's spine. "Do you like it? I know you do. I can smell it. Your body wants more," his voice was low and sensual.

Kagome's face was as red as a tomato for several reasons. One, she was being humiliated by a barbarian that apparently viewed her as sex with legs. Two, for some reason which she ignored, her body was responding and her mind seemed to be in the clouds. And three, she was getting angrier but every second he still held her. How dare he touch her without permission?

"Kikyo," she stammered out in a low voice.

Sesshoumaru I had no idea who she was calling, but doubted that someone would appear for obvious reasons, they would not be able to hear her but to his surprise, he felt a blade against his neck and a presence materialized out of nowhere behind him.

"Let her go," ordered the unknown person.

He deduced it was a woman by her voice. But he was not prepared for what he saw. It was like seeing Kagome except that the woman wore a priestess garb. Their height, their body, even the color of their eyes, was the same. Her eyes were of a deep blue color which, unlike the Princess', were cold and shrewd. For some reason he imagined the woman dressed in black from head to toe, but he thought it was not possible. The bodyguard was a half-demon while the Princess and the ninja were demon, or he believed that. But looking well at the new threat, he realized that the ninja would be who she wished to be. If appearing as a half-demon served her unknown purpose, she would not think twice about it. So he carefully observed the Princess's protector with narrowed eyes.

Kikyo, as she had been called, had small claws that were obviously dangerous but seemed delicate and harmless. However, her ears were human and she wore red pants and white shirt. He absently wondered why she dressed as a priestess, but had more important things to do like get out of the mess he made by pushing the innocent princess' buttons. To his regret, while he examined the unexpected bodyguard, Kagome escaped from his arms and her expression was not a happy one.

"I'm sorry, Prince Sesshoumaru, but I only allow my mate to touch me and, if you are having problems with your sense of smell, I am not mated, which means that you are not my mate so you must not touch me. I would appreciate if you kept the distance from now on," she hoped it was clear and that he would not touch her in such indecent way from that day forward. "Kikyo, please take Prince Sesshoumaru to his chambers. Something important that needs my presence have come up," just because she had to, she bowed to Sesshoumaru and almost ran out of his presence.

Sesshoumaru liked her. It was hard to admit but he liked the Princess. She was innocent, protected, trusting and still did not know what he could offer. They were all the qualities he hated in a person, be it demon or simply a human, and that made him like her more because he would destroy the perfect world in which Hisoka had raised her. She also appeared to be stubborn and feisty, a perfect combination in their eyes.

"You can leave," he told Kikyo. "This Sesshoumaru can find his chambers by himself."

"You might be able to, but you are not my master and my orders are to take you to your bedchamber. That is what I plan to do," Kikyo's icy voice came out in a whisper but was enough for him to notice a change in it. It sounded nothing like when she had appeared and it made him suspicious. Who was this bodyguard that could appear behind him without his notice? He decided not to continue asking questions which had no answer at the time, but vowed to find out sooner or later. He turned around and headed towards where he could feel Katsuro, ignoring the half-demon that followed him. He could feel Kikyo's eyes on his back, probably wishing that lighting appeared out of nowhere and killed him. Well, he would not give her that pleasure so easily, not when he had much to do.

* * *

**G**eneral Katsuro was leaning against the wall while waiting for the Prince to appear. He was ready for the first report although it was not as successful as he would have liked. Absently looking at the wall in front of him, he thought that something odd was happening in the damned city and he knew very well that they shouldn't be there in such unstable times. In the name of God, apparently a rebellion was being organized. If it was him in charge, he would be leaving the place in seconds, but knowing Sesshoumaru so well, the Lord of the castle would have to personally throw him out.

Sensing the presence of his master nearby, he stood straight and saluted him. The expression on Sesshoumaru's face said there was something he didn't like; however, the prince was alone as expected. He had probably scared the princess away. Katsuro almost smiled, but managed to stop. It was obvious that the good humor of his master lasted less than a sweet in a garden full of children, and discovering that his own general was laughing at him was going to piss him off more, and that was not going to end well for Katsuro.

Sesshoumaru had felt when the bodyguard had left only a few seconds before his general came into view. The bitch was intelligent and strong. He admired her although he hated that admission. Deciding that he would take care of her eventually, he went straight to the door of his new room, opened it, and entered. Katsuro followed him seconds later. Trying to calm himself down so he could listen to his general, the prince opted to inspect his chambers. It was more or less luxurious, quite large with a vanity dresser in a corner, a well done futon in the center and other things. There was a door, which led to a private hot springs. Nothing special in his opinion.

A bit calmer and somewhat familiar with the place, he placed a barrier around his general and himself. Katsuro did the same and wrapped a second barrier around the first. It was only for precaution. While in enemy territory, it was expected to have some spy listening through the walls and, although the report was nothing special, it would be better to be cautious.

"What did you discovered, Katsuro," asked Sesshoumaru even when it sounded like an order.

"Not much. Most of the information is gossip among servants who believe that the Lord is not doing enough for his people. Talk about a rebellion might soon arise if there isn't already a rebel causing damage to Hisoka's troops. Also, rumors say that Hisoka followed the recommendation of one of his advisors when he decided to attack Western Territory," said the general.

"I saw him very interested in the negotiations that are to be carried out over the next few days and he didn't convince me. Perhaps he is planning something and is using the Treaty as cover," conjectured Sesshoumaru. He didn't like speculations and it felt that that was what he was doing. There was little information on the activities of the Lord. His father had mentioned that somebody could be manipulating Hisoka, so perhaps he shouldn't expect a deception from the Lord but from one of his counselors. He had perceived from them was that they weren't reliable. "Get someone to follow the advisers. If the Lord is so easy to manipulate then we should be paying more attention to the Ministers than him. But do not leave him unguarded. Also, investigates a little more about these rumors of rebels and discovers if Hisoka knows something. When you have the required information, come and tell me," said Sesshoumaru waiting for his general to leave him alone to think.

"Yes. Well, there are also rumors of a thief called Kurohana. The servants say that this demon is very agile and small. He robs the rich and helps the poor. Also frees prisoners unjustly confined. If someone would know anything about a revolution would be this demon," added Katsuro.

"You are right, contact him and I will speak with him personally. The meeting should be during a day that I don't have to attend some ridiculous party. We will see later on. Meanwhile, send someone to the city for more information and when I have an opportunity I will also go," he ordered thinking on how to get rid of someone who might be following him. He could not kill a spy unless he was attacked first. In any case, he was sure someone would try to kill him sooner or later so he should also be prepared if something serious happened.

"Yes, I will immediately impart your orders," answered Katsuro and dropped his barrier which was followed by Sesshoumaru's.

After his general left, the prince removed his armor and threw himself in the futon still dressed but not carrying in the slightest. He was tired and wanted to be stress free for the rest of the day until the time of the party. That made him growl but he calmed down immediately. He would find a way to get revenge on the Princess. That sounded good.

* * *

**I**n one corner of Sesshoumaru's room a pair of red eyes watched him cautiously, waiting for the best time to act. The corner was so dark that, with the black costume, the spy appeared to be part of the wall. The demon was in a spider position near the ceiling with the head toward the floor. When the demon thought it was safe to leave the room without being noticed, she stealthily moved towards the door leading to the bathroom. She opened it leaving a fine thread of light into the room and went out, breathing the damp air of the hot springs. Seconds later, the demon was in the roof running towards the main garden. Her feet touched the structure but the steps were not heard, as if the demon flew over the building.

It didn't take much time to arrive at her destination where someone awaited the report. The other person was also dressed in black clothes that fit her body showing curves that in that era were not allowed to expose. Cautious and impassive eyes watched everything carefully as if she was observing her surroundings for the first time. Of course, being there at noon in plain view was a necessity and not a luxury. Ninjas only came at night and by day went undercover so, being under the enemy's nose at midday was too much and, although apparently nobody had noticed the exchange happening there, it was best to be safe than sorry.

"What did you hear?" She asked. The ninja that had arrived knelt in front of her master and repeated word for word what had been said in the room. "So he wants to find me. It is very pleasant on his part to come from so far to ask me to stop the coming war, but it will not make any difference. It wasn't me who chose this path, the inhabitants of these lands and the rich who abuse them were the ones that choose. My role is to guide the people towards that mission, nothing more. However, I will try to make the thirst for revenge abate for a while; though, I do not promise much. Takara, leave a message informing him about my next plan. If he wants to find me, he will come to me," said the woman with the gentleness of a flower. "Oh, and don't forget to warn him."

"Yes, Kurohana," said Takara before returning to work in the Castle. She still had enough time to comply with the orders, besides, she had been gone for a long time and someone might notice her absence.

Kurohana stayed behind watching the exotic flowers the Princess had ordered to be planted in the central garden. Those were for the people of the Court to see and praise. Besides the show of beauty, it showed the power of the Royal Family of the South, but such acts were not enough to convince her of the power they held over the citizens. Although the flowers were beautiful and more than one were her favorite, it would impress her more if with them they would help the poor starving people in the cities. But it was obvious that these flowers would achieve nothing more than an expression of admiration when a lady saw them. For Kurohana, beautiful flowers only represented an expenditure of money. But they had to maintain appearances. After all, the Princess was not as stupid as she was believed to be by many people. She was informed of what was happening around her. The main role of the Princess was to play as if she knew nothing and until then, the plan was going wonderfully well. Under the clothing covering her face, Kurohana smiled cynically and her stormy blue eyes appeared serious and determined. _'The day the princess will have to disappear will come,'_ she thought, _'and that day is nearing increasingly fast. Well, there are things that have to be done regardless of the consequences for some individuals.' _With these dark thoughts she left at rapid speed from the hated garden.


	3. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha_

**Chapter 2**

**Uneventful Day**

**A** soft knock on the shoji door and the voice of a servant telling him it was time to get up for breakfast, woke him. For the first time in his life, he felt like crawling back into the bed which he had yet to get out of, but it wasn't like him to stay in bed when it was obviously late. But also going to a party hosted by the Court and staying there until dawn was not usual for him. Well, he blamed the Princess for that, because he had planned to go into town and discover something. But no, Kagome had other plans in mind. Among them, make sure he participated in each and every one of the parties of that week. If that was the case, she was in for a tremendous surprise, although he had not been able to avoid her invitation that time, there was always a next one. He would find a way to not participate in any of her spontaneous outings. However, he had to find something else to deter her, because telling her the truth about the Southern Land had only been temporary. Or, better said, it hadn't lasted. When he planned to leave for the city the previous night, she had been waiting for him at the door. She wore more kimonos than the last time he had seen her and, once again, she looked beautiful under that amount of layers. The clothes, like before, had birds designed in the borders. Some were big made of red fire, and the other small ones were brownish or black. Also she wore a necklace made of gold with diamond and rubies incrusted in it with matching earrings. A crown like ornament also made of the same jewels perilously stayed in her head and her dainty hands had several rings. It was a miracle that she wasn't crawling around instead of walking for those things seemed to be heavy and dwarf her into her clothe making her seem more fragile and small. But she looked astounding nonetheless. However, to him her eyes were the most precious sapphire-colored jewels she wore and the innocence in them stopped him from saying something unnecessary that would make her leave him alone.

Now that he thought about it, perhaps it was too much of a coincidence, but it seemed that the Princess didn't seem to be fond of him for she wouldn't have submitted him to that torture if she liked him a bit; which also made him wonder why she was still talking to him. If she had been an ordinary lady, she would not have spoken to him for the rest of his stay in the castle after what he had said to her. For some reason, she had gone to his room and made sure that he participated in the ball or, at least, that he had been present for a while. Something was wrong, he could feel it. She seemed to be very happy when he opened the door but in fact, she should, at least, have been a little cautious to avoid an encore of what had happened that afternoon. He had found the warning to be quite convincing.

Would she have been able to deceive him with her happiness and simplicity? He only had that feeling that screamed to be careful when she was near him. Although that sixth sense had never failed him, he couldn't bring himself to trust it completely in her case because she didn't look like an enemy. But that didn't deter him completely from being cautious. He would take charge of watching over her. After all, they spend a lot of time together beginning with that same day, he thought with resentment. He didn't know how, but she convinced him have tea with her. Just thinking about it made him want to leave and never return, but Sesshoumaru wasn't going to lose against a female, it didn't matter who she was.

Up to that moment, if they were counting points, then the princess was winning 2 to 0. In his entire life, Sesshoumaru had never been convinced of participating in something as trivial as a party, and the miniature princess had achieved it with her eyes closed. Although he had to admit that the celebration hadn't been that bad. There had been food, music and entertainment. He was sure it would have been better if he had not had to converse with other invitees, and if all those scrawny bitched had not been all over him like flies on a corpse. He also might have been able to leave earlier if the so called princess had not stopped him every time he saw an opportunity of escape. He wondered if she had ulterior motives. He decided that that wasn't the case, although he noticed that she had him watched or she wouldn't have perceived him when he wanted to leave.

Pushing aside the sheets of the futon, and placing his muscular legs on the floor, he stood up and he went to the bathroom. For the position of the sun, he deduced that he would arrive late at the meeting and, although he personally didn't like not being on time, he needed to bath. He would have also liked to eat something, but that would take more time than necessary. Not paying a lot of attention to his surroundings, he pushed the door to the bathroom which had allowed a fine ray of light to enter the room and he went to the springs.

The bath was relaxing although it wasn't too long. Being forced to abandon paradise, Sesshoumaru got a towel and dried off. Inside, his general was waiting for it with a folded note in his hand. The Prince had seen it on the table when he had gone to the bathroom but had decided to ignore it. He had also noticed that the door to the bathroom had been a little open when he was sure he had closed it after getting dressed for the party the previous night. There was not room for doubt. Somebody had entered his room. Perhaps more than one, but of that he didn't have proof of.

After getting dressed, Katsuro gave him the note and Sesshoumaru read it eagerly. As expected, the note didn't improve his liege's mood from lack of sleep. The young demon was furious.

"Prince Sesshoumaru, what does it say?" The curiosity was killing him. What could the note say that put to his master in such a bad mood? Following Sesshoumaru's order, he placed a barrier and he moved closer.

"Somebody listened in our conversation and this person dared to leave me a message admitting it," he said in pure rage. "There is somebody here that it is strong enough to filter our barrier. We need to be more careful."

"Who dared do such a thing?" Katsuro was not able to completely hide the curiosity that he felt. Many had heard rumors of Sesshoumaru and very few among them would dare to provoke him.

"Apparently, my little ninja," a feral smile appeared in the Prince's face. "It seemed she has infiltrated the castle or somebody working for her is here. For what I see she wants us to meet," he said.

"Do you refer to the ninja that appeared in the Tsuki no Palace? She is here and left you a message? Are you sure, Prince Sesshoumaru?" the general couldn't believe a single word on that note. It was too much of a coincidence that the same woman appeared there. It had to be a trap.

"Yes, I am sure. It seems that this Kurohana knows how to find her so you will find out who is this person and we'll get any information about my ninja," he ordered.

"Well, about that, I asked about Kurohana in the city and it seems to be a she and not a he. This thief is a female that protects people from the Royal Guards and gives money to the poor. They say that she has connections in all the lands and that created a town where people that she rescues go to live at. The problem is that 'The Garden', as they call the hiding place where she takes the people she rescues, is not a fixed place. The citizens mentioned many parts in the Southern territory where this village could be, but they always said a different place, so it was impossible to pinpoint a single one," said Katsuro.

Sesshoumaru looked steadily at his general.

"Kurohana is my ninja?" He asked somewhat excited. Did he really want to see her again? "What else have you discovered?"

"Recently, a group of farmers were taken into a prison near the forest and people are waiting for Kurohana to save them. I think she is waiting for the right moment to act. I believe that she knows that is a trap so she is waiting for the soldiers to lower their guard," said the general not very pleased with Sesshoumaru who kept calling that mysterious woman 'his ninja'. He didn't know her, but it seemed that Sesshoumaru was obsessed with her. Something like that had never happened before; just like he had never heard of a female ninja.

"She plans to attack tomorrow night and this time, she won't escape me," said the Prince with a small smile in his lips and a strange shine in his golden eyes that made him look like the predator he was. "You can leave. In the next report I want information on the Lord's advisers. And I would like someone to watch the princess while I'm on these ridiculous meetings. I want to know who her maids are and how many times she goes to the bathroom if necessary. Although she seems like an angel, I don't trust of her," that was the best way of discovering if his foreboding was correct.

"Yes, sir. We have been following the consultants. However, yesterday they disappeared for several hours without leaving a trail. We will try again today but without a map of the castle it is very difficult. In the maps some secret entrance that they could use would appear and until now, we have found neither map nor such an entrance," his general informed.

"Did you check the library?" Sesshoumaru asked absently.

"Yes, but the maps that we have found have the entrances and exits used by everybody. There is nothing secret about them," said Katsuro not very happy of failing in such a way.

"I see. Then ask around the castle for a maid named Takara, she will be able help you," mentioned the prince.

"If you'll excuse my curiosity your highness, who is this Takara?" How Sesshoumaru knew the servants of the castle was a mystery.

"She is my relative. Supposedly she had died with her mate during an attack of the North in our land. It seems she has been hiding here for a hundred years. Use that information to your favor when you speak with her. Threaten to return her to the West to marry immediately if she doesn't help us. That will make her cooperate," knowing his cousin like he did, she wouldn't like to have to marry again. She had loved her husband a lot and, according to the western laws, she had to marry again after 10 years of mourning. Obviously, she had preferred to be a maid than to do such a thing.

Understanding that Sesshoumaru wanted to be alone, Katsuro left the room and devoted himself to look for Takara, his master relative. Once alone, the prince read the message again:

Dearest Prince Sesshoumaru:

I already know that you are looking for me. I lament informing you that it won't be easy to meet because my chores take me great part of the day and, especially, the night. However I can make a space tomorrow after midnight. The encounter will be quick because there are things to take care of. You can wait for me in the border of the forest that expands on the northern side of the city near the jail.

Sincerely,

Your Ninja

P.S. I would advise you to sleep with an eye open and the other one closed since there isn't always a princess that can save you from your doom. And also, be careful with the food. It would be better if you ate out and in a different place every day. Remember that I am not the only spy that it hangs of your walls at nights, although I am the best.

Never in his life had he read such an arrogant and sarcastic message unless it was him who wrote it. To his grief, it was not this way. But the most important thing was the content of the letter. The princess was helping the ninja and the calligraphy was Takara's. They had studied together many years so it was impossible not to recognize her handwriting when he saw it. He wondered why his dear cousin would unite forces with that woman. Takara, wanted it or not, was part of the Western Royal Family and a lady. He couldn't imagine her running over roofs dressed in black. Well, neither he had imagined her as a maid, but that was her line of work.

He memorized the letter and didn't need it more. Using Dokkasou, the proof of the warning to the Heir of the West was destroyed, only leaving behind the ashes.

* * *

**H**isoka was sitting down in the Meeting Chamber thinking if it had been good idea to enter in negotiations with the West after the failed attack on those lands. It could have been Toga's idea but that didn't help him feel better. He had made a mistake when he listened to his advisers' counsels. It had been subtle insinuations at first until they proposed to conquer the West and ignore the treaty that had been kept between the two kingdoms for years. He had opposed at first, but at the end he had seen the logic of such drastic actions, a logic that at that moment made no sense to his mind. Well, it was obvious that it had been a rash and stupid decision. It became that obvious once he met the Western Heir. Sesshoumaru was a powerful being even when he was not as strong as him, yet. The prince was beautiful, arrogant and refined, and one could see that Toga had trained him well. Perhaps he should be on his knees begging him to forgive his transgression and offering his daughter as mate or as a concubine. He didn't care while it helped his lands.

His lands. That was another headache. Supposedly, the people fought against his dictatorship. He wondered about the sick way his nation saw his government. He gave them food, a place to sleep and the taxes were not high. The jails were empty and the crime was low. Even so, the only thing that he heard from his consultants was that the citizens complained about everything. His people said there were not enough foods, there were not enough work positions, the taxes were high, water too scarce, the prices had inflated and the list went on and on. He wanted to help his people, so he decided to add some things to discuss during the conference in hopes that it could be added into the treaty between the two lands. He understood very well that a conflict was not good for his country, it could end up in a civil war and, with a powerful nation as the West fighting against them, they would not survive. If the situation ever arouse, the least of their problems would be the food and water. The worse being their inability to stop another nation from entering his domain. It was most likely that his people would have the so desired dictator if such thing happened.

Moving nervously in his seat at the head of the table, he felt the eyes of his advisers on him. They were wondering the same thing as him. Where was Sesshoumaru that it was taking him to long to get there? The prince seemed a responsible young demon so Hisoka supposed he would be on time. However, it seemed that Toga should not trust his son. Perhaps the heir was one way when his father was present and another when the Big Dog was not.

In no time Hideaki, his most trusted adviser, spoke on behalf of the Assembly. "How long do we have to wait for the Heir to appear?" The cat said aloud to nobody in particular.

"A servant informed me he was already on his way. It seemed he just woke up," somebody answered at his right.

"Well, perhaps he shouldn't be in charge of such an important matter if he cannot even arrive on time to the meeting," suggested Hideaki bitterly.

The cat knew that with the Prince's late arrival, Hisoka would consider if he was making the correct decision. In spite of everything, he wouldn't be given the luxury of revising and signing the Treaty without causing some problem. But something worried him. Prince Sesshoumaru seemed to be quite informed of what happened in the court of the South. More than what a simple Ambassador should know. Hideaki realized that somebody must have known of his plans and this person had informed the heir of the attack. The West should have remained ignorant until the last minute. Instead, King Toga sent his first born son into the fray. Hideaki had no idea of how that the long thought plan had failed so miserably but he knew who to blame, after all, the western informant worked for him. Although the advisor was sure that the demon hadn't betrayed him, he was positive that he had no more use for the traitor since whoever told Sesshoumaru of the attack had to have mentioned the betrayer and other things as well.

Now his thoughts only ran in circles, like a dog chasing his tail, with the same question. Who was informing the western prince? It was obvious that somebody had infiltrated his troops and probably this person disguised himself as an ally. Problem was he couldn't go suspecting everybody he came in contact with. It was impractical and would alert the spy. However, among his circle-running thoughts, he wondered how was it possible that he had chosen a spy to work for him. He had chosen his allies very carefully and these people had many reasons to do unspeakable things, but he couldn't find one that was good enough to warrant a betrayal. Still, he had to ponder the matter thoroughly. The accusation he was formulating in his brains had to have more back up than a simple coincidence. And until that moment, he had nothing else to guide him forward.

It was then that Sesshoumaru's angry outburst of energy caught the attention of the people in the room making them wonder what could have cause his rage so early in the day. But when the heir made act of presence in the meeting, nobody was brave enough to ask about it. Besides, his poker face didn't give away any information. It was like he had never been angry to begin with.

* * *

**K**atsuro spent the whole morning looking for the maid Takara. Every time he asked somebody, the answers was the same and along the line of 'don't know nobody with tha' name'. That didn't deter him in the least. If Katsuro was something, persistent would be one of them and patient another. He also trusted his Prince. So when Sesshoumaru said that his cousin was in the castle, it was because she was. He also believed his liege had another reason to want to find this woman, but none occurred to him that was worthy of consideration.

Almost at noon, he found a fire-haired maid with cleaning implements heading into the Princess' Palace. She was the only being in the surrounding and one he hadn't questioned yet. Walking fast toward her he extended a hand to touch her shoulder while calling her. Imagine his surprise when she turned around before he was too close and pointed the broom she carried at his nose making him take a step back. Her green eyes warned him of coming closer so he stayed where he was.

"Sorry to bother you while you're working but I'm looking for somebody. Could you help me?"

"Who are you looking for?" asked the now curious maid since she knew not who Sesshoumaru's general was seeking in the Castle.

"I was informed that a maid by the name of Takara worked here and I'm yet to find her," he said almost expecting to hear another 'I don't know that person'.

"Takara? What do you want with her?" Shinju asked once more. Takara was not very well-known in the castle so it was strange that an outsider knew of her. "You came with the ambassador, right?"

"Yes and I was ordered by Prince Sesshoumaru to find Takara and to speak personally with her. It is important," he told her. He didn't have an idea about how this maid knew who he was. Most people with whom he had spoken looked at him with distrust and he could almost hear the 'Who the hell is this retarded asshole?' thought. But to his surprise, the maid nodded and didn't ask him anything regarding what he wanted to discuss with her co-worker.

"Alright, she always takes care of the Central Garden at this time. If you hurry you might catch her before she leaves," Shinju informed him.

"Thank you," he said and left in search of the garden.

Shinju kept looking at General Katsuro's retreating back. The demon was tall, with wide shoulders, silver hair and iced blue eyes. A light azure snow flake adorned his forehead and a horizontal scar, that it had not been taken care in its time, was under the soft skin of his left eye. To her, he was another powerful warrior that she would or would not face in the near future. Everything depended on how the plans developed, after all, unplanned surprises were the most common form of failure. An example of such was that Sesshoumaru had discovered that his cousin was a maid in the Southern Castle. Unexpected as it was, it didn't affect them a lot, but it would cause annoyances in future operations. _'I will have to inform Kurohana,'_ she made a mental note and continued doing her work.

Meanwhile, Takara was cutting lilies and roses to adorn the princess's room as it was accustomed. Her blond silver hair was up in a high bun and some loose locks fell around her face, which was refined and aristocratic. Many in the castle believed she was the bastard daughter of some daimyo and, in fact, they were not so far from the truth. She was the daughter of one of the siblings of the Dog General. Her father was the youngest from the Western Moon Clan and one of the few who stood out. While some of his brothers had a wild side that tended to cause trouble and create unexpected situations, he was the first of his kin to interbreed. He had chosen a mischievous fox that had fallen crazily in love with him as his mate and, even if he didn't like to admit it, he had been head over heels in love with her mother as well. As always, there was some opposition to the mating but, eventually and against all advice from both families, they decided to stay together no matter what.

That was the story her mother told her before bed when she was little and Takara really wanted to believe it even now. She wanted a story similar to that one. She wanted love, something her mating had been lacking. Contrary to what many believed, she had never loved her mate. They had grown accustomed to each other and had become friends. They had care for each other but that was as far as it got. There was never a chance of something else happening and they would never have had the opportunity of finding their significant half. So, in retrospective, it was good that one of them had died. It gave the other one a chance but Takara had the least success rate. Her chances were close to none since by law a female demon from her clan would have to mate after 10 years of mourning. She didn't want to be in a loveless mating once more so she ran away from that Castle near the border of North, crossing the West itself to escape from the life of a lady.

And it had worked until recently. If things went as planned, she would be returning to the West soon, most likely after Sesshoumaru talked to her. She sighed and felt the air gush out of her lungs helping her catch the sound of steps behind. Her first impression was to tense and give away the advantage she had on her visitor, the knowledge of his presence, but she continued to cut the flowers as if nobody was there. The hairs in the back of her neck stood up and a shiver ran down her back. It seemed the marauder had enough demons to defeat an entire army. Picking the flower she had just cut, she placed it in the basket. Clutching the giant scissors as she would a knife, she rotated on her heel quickly, launching her arm toward the surprised demon's heart. The intruder moved back and managed to catch her weapon before it came closer than it was, just mere millimeters from his beating heart.

The hand that held hers was strong and big, with sharp claws that made an effort of not injuring her. Deciding that at least, she needed to know who she was about to dispatch, she looked carefully at the demon in front of her. The first thing to notice was the crystal blue eyes that stared at her wide open with an unbelieving glint. This person stood about a foot higher than her, and because of their position, she could see as his fine lips formed a thin line indicating his displeasure at being attacked by the one thing he was sure wasn't going to, a female. And, to his great good luck, she had almost managed to impale him on her scissor.

"What do you think you are doing?" He just had to ask even if it seem quite clear to everyone else.

"Defending myself, what else," she spat. Reigning over her desire of kicking his ass, she tried to look like a good girl so she could actually get to the kicking part. "You can let me go, I won't harm you."

Those words were ridiculous. Just the notion of a female harming him was ludicrous. However, something made him pause and not laugh right in her face. It could have been that mouth of hers that looked so delicious and inviting that he wanted to eat it, or maybe those flaming eyes that jumped from the warmer orange to the hotter gold and radiated distrust in every possible language imaginable to demon. Also, he could feel ill intent toward his person but decided to ignore it in favor of releasing the Fury in front of him. He soon found out that he shouldn't have released her as a little agile foot found his way into his face knocking him on his back. With a speed never before associated with a female, Takara had him pinned to the floor with her knees holding his arms at bay and the ever convincing pair of scissors ready to snap his neck if it ever came to it.

"Hey wait, wait. I didn't come to fight. Sesshoumaru sent me. So release me so we can talk," managed to say the surprised General who had been defeated by a female in seconds.

* * *

**T**he meeting was just as he had foreseen it. The South rejected most of the clauses of the Treaty and wanted to change them at any cost. Meanwhile, Sesshoumaru explained time and time again why they should keep it as it had been. He even dared to say that Lord Hisoka was to blame for the economic failure. The irritation among the demon increased, unpleasant comments were exchanged and more than once, they almost attacked each other, until it was decided to continue the next day since things were getting too heated up to make any real advance that morning.

Among them, Sesshoumaru's irritation was well felt but it took a complete new level when he felt the weak presence of the princess outside the chamber. The excited fluctuation of it made the Ice Prince sigh with exasperation. He had wanted to do something else entirely but she had mannered to drag him to some tea party. He had denied her at first but seeing that she wasn't listening, he just gave up.

"Prince Sesshoumaru, are you ready?" Her sweet voice rang in the full hallway making some of the demon present snicker. It was good to know they recognized the invitation for what it was, torture. Although, it was not necessary to prolong or delay it, the faster he got there, the faster would be over.

"Hm," was the answer that the princess received. Taking it as a yes, she grabbed his large hand in her and pulled him toward the gardens. The innocent touch sent a strange current through his body which made him gaze at the princess's small hand in his. It was a mystery for him. This small creature made him do unexpected things. There had to be something wrong with it but looking at her thin and silky claws, he ignore it and went with her.

When entering the garden, he was surprised. He hoped to find an endless garden filled with flowers of all type, trees and maybe even a swing. But apparently, the Princess had another thing in mind. The garden where she took him was like a cage of leaves that allowed some sunbeams to filter through them. To a side, poisonous plants of all kind grew and in his right side, medical plants, some of them rare to find, made a path to the back of the strange garden. The mixture of the scents created an aroma too potent for the sensitive nose of Sesshoumaru so it was hard to discern each plant in particular.

As they continued to penetrate into the small jungle, the multitude of scents disappeared slowly until only one could be distinguished. It was sweet and mischievous, with some twist in it. This new aroma reminded him of a rose under a storm. A scent he liked.

"Prince Sesshoumaru, what are you doing?" The Princess asked with rosy cheeks.

"Hm," he mumbled. He didn't remember when he closed his eyes and followed the scent blindingly. Now he realized that the aroma that overpowered all other scents was coming from the Princess who he was sniffing. "Nothing," straightening, he stepped away from Kagome.

After walking some more, they came upon a clearing of white climbing buds that had two blue velvet cushions. Between them a low table sat with equipment to make the tea close by. For some reason, Sesshoumaru felt attracted these strange flowers that made him sleepy. He wondered what type they were as he could feel some sort of energy in them.

"Your Highness, how has been your day?" The Princess asked a shyly while she prepared the tea with the help of a maid.

"Well."

"Could you elaborate?" She dared ask. He didn't want to elaborate so he changed the topic. Better to listen than to speak.

"What are these flowers?" His voice was neutral not giving away the real interest he had in them.

"Do you like them?" Kagome smiled ignoring that he hadn't answered her question. Letting the maid continue the preparation of the beverage, she proceeded to explain to him. "They are a type of demon that lived off of energy and blood from other demons. They are parasitic plants called Black Flowers because of the dark color the body takes once her moving stems have sucked the blood from them. The flowers give off a special pollen that causes the unsuspecting demon to fall sleep making it easier for them to capture their pray. They are almost extinct since most of the places where they used to grow have been taken over either by humans or demon. They are dangerous to be around unless you know how to handle them. I was told my mother received them as a gift from the Northern Lady," her voice sounded nostalgic.

"What happened to her?" He inquired her.

"She… died. I've never met her," she said swallowing the knot that had formed in the throat and with shiny eyes for the tears that wanted to fall.

Seeing that the conversation was getting a little personal, the maid surmised that she would be in the way so she hurried up and finished the tea before offering a cup to each one.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," he tried to apologize but didn't know how. Instead, he prayed that by some miracle, the delicate creature before him didn't begin to cry as he was sure she planned. Extending his hand, he captured one of the tears that had escaped and, taking advantage of the situation, he caressed her velvet cheek. Her brilliant eyes as the ocean looked at him sadly, and she looked away seconds later.

"You should not apologize and there is no way you could have known. Father has forbidden the servants to speak of her," she murmured.

"How did it happen?" Right then, he wanted to know a little bit about the princess and while he waited, he did as if he was drinking his tea.

"As expected, Father hasn't told me anything. What I know is what the servants' gossip when there is nobody to hear them. By their accounts, it happened during the attack in the North, when the royal family was murdered. They told me that my mother and the Lady of the North were cousins of the same clan of dog demon. They had always been good friends, even when the cousin married the wolf Lord. According to the hearsay, the members of the clan were against the union. Some stupid argument about maintaining the race pure. However, my mother's cousin didn't give up and she eloped with her love and they married in the North. Years later, an heir was born to the royal couple and they invited the rulers of the other lands to celebrate. During the ceremony, the dragon attacked by surprise. The invaders murdered the royal family and anyone who interfered. Mother was pregnant and she was almost ready to give birth when the attack happened. She had insisted on going to the North to meet her cousin's son not caring about her own health. It seems that during the assault the moment of the delivery arrived. By some miracle, my parents were able to leave the battle field and arrived to a secure place where I was born.

"When Father arrived at the Castle, he'd brought the newly born pup but his mate didn't come with him. He was desolated by the loss and for several years he didn't want to see anybody. I think he blamed me for mother's death. But I've never had the courage to ask him, especially now that things are going right for a change. With so many years of avoiding contact with others, we didn't get to have much of a relationship," the princess ended her tale.

Sesshoumaru was fascinated with the history as he remembered those events vaguely. His mother and father had taken him to said party and they had been helping escape the sovereigns of the North after the attack began. In the confusion, they got separated and escaped by themselves. They didn't know anything else about them until days later the news that their heads were being shown in the square of the capital of the North reached them.

"Why do you have these flowers here if they are so dangerous?" He asked when the atmosphere was too oppressive for his pleasure.

"Why? Very simple, my mother left them to me. That's enough for not destroying them," she answered. She imagined that he didn't understand that type of sentimentalities but for her the flowers were very important.

"I don't understand. They are dangerous, right?" The confusion was seen clearly in his eyes. It was the first time that she saw something more than a cold and calculating look.

"Only to weak demon. In my case, I know how to protect myself from them. They cannot harm me. However, if somebody who is not familiar with them enters this place, they might be in danger."

"If you are not in danger then there is no reason to worry," he murmured to himself. Looking toward the jail of leaves, he noticed that it was getting late by the position and color of the sun on the leaves. "I think it's time to leave, it's getting late."

"You're right Prince Sesshoumaru. I guess you have things to take care of," she said while he helped her stand. "I would like to thank you for listening to me."

"You shouldn't be thanking me just yet, Princess," he murmured with a deep voice coming closer to her ear. "I could do something bad," he added as he softly bit her pointed ear before leaving the private garden.

* * *

**W**ay after 10 at night, Shinju entered in the room of her master to report what had happened during that day. Sooner than later, a war was going to break out in the South and she preferred if Kurohana had all the information necessary to ensure victory.

"Kurohana," she called in the darkness.

"I'm here, Shinju, come in," only a pair of brilliant blue eyes could be distinguished in the dark room. It was impossible to know if the place was big or small and so dark the one couldn't walk without stumbling with her own two feet. "What did you want?"

"It seems that Takara has been discovered. This noon Sesshoumaru's general, Katsuro, was looking for her," Shinju's green eyes tried to see beyond the blackness that covered every surface.

"And?" The soft and cold voice echoed through the place.

"Well, it might be dangerous to assign her a mission at this time," she said.

"She already has her orders, don't worry, she will be fine," drifted the answer.

"Also as you suspected, the advisors are nervous now that Sesshoumaru met with them. The most have guessed they have a spy among themselves."

"I can imagine them," laughed Kurohana. "They must be running around like headless chickens. Pity that it won't work, they will never find my informant."

"You are right Kurohana. Besides that, today there was another murder attempt on prince Sesshoumaru. They put poison in his tea. He is lucky you warned him of the drinks and food," added the small woman.

"I know. Its good there was no need to interfere and save his hide. Sesshoumaru is an important part of my plans so it would be really bad if something happened to him before he was of any help," Kurohana acknowledged but there was an angry undertone like it was hard for her to look after him after what he had put her through. It didn't make her feel any better knowing he could still pull something new any given moment.

"Then you already know that he's been asking around about you," deduced Shinju.

"Yes, I was waiting for that," she admitted with delicate voice. "You don't have to worry. He will not find me until I want him to," a silent pause followed the quiet conversation before new orders were issued. "Shinju, it's time to create the group that will protect the royal concubine. Her pregnancy has been confirmed this morning," standing up and walking around her room she added "I want the best people on this team after all, the only hope left for this lands is that child she carries in her womb and I don't want any screw ups, we clear?"

"I get the orders but I don't understand why we have to protect this woman. Princess Kagome can occupy the throne if the need arises," said Shinju.

"Actually, Shinju, she can't. Kagome will not be allowed to reign if anything happens to Hisoka and I'm here to find other alternatives to problems like this. Which would bring us to the next thing, the princess is getting in the way more often these days and if this continues, I'll have to make her disappear before planned. I wouldn't like to do that because it has its own particular advantage but it will be done if things do not correct themselves, understood?"

"Yes, Kurohana, but I think…"

"You're not here to think. The princess cannot reign in the South and that's it. Now leave, I want to rest for a while longer," she ordered her subordinate who looked at her with astonishment eyes. Still, Shinju decided to leave her master alone.


End file.
